Perfect
by Infamousplot
Summary: One month. That was all the time he gave Kitanji: four weeks, 28 days- give or take a few. Well, now he's down to three weeks. A whole week wasted. Because SOMEBODY, though he won't name any names -Neku Sakuraba -, just won't freaking DIE! Now, he's sprinting through the RG with a gun, a psycho on his tail, and only one goal in mind: Kill the proxy. Now.


**Disclaimer:** Characters do not belong to me.

**Title:** Perfect

**Summary:** One month. That was all the time he gave Kitanji: four weeks, 28 days- give or take a few. Well, now he's down to three weeks. A whole week wasted. Because SOMEBODY, though he won't name any names -Neku Sakuraba -, just won't freaking DIE! Now, he's sprinting through the RG with a gun, a psycho on his tail, and only one goal in mind: Kill the proxy. Now.

**Rated:** T. Several F-bombs, some other curses, murder.

**Characters: **Joshua, Sho, Neku

**A/N:** Partner-fic to "Ten Seconds", though technically this happens _before_ the events of "Ten Seconds". Inspired by Cherished Tenshi, who, while talking about her Neku's Death Theories with me, pointed out the desperate, terrified look on Joshua face as he rushed in to kill Neku.

* * *

_**Perfect**_

**X X X  
**

Everything is perfect.

Absolutely fucking _perfect._

He is flying down the streets of Shibuya as fast as his feet can carry him, which really isn't all that fast, when you consider his lack of physical prowess. All around him he hears people screaming- "Look out!" "He's got a gun!" "Someone, call the police!" "Get him!" -and he's really starting to rethink the minor details of this plan. Like, why didn't he hide his gun? And why couldn't he have tuned into the RG _after_ he'd located the proxy? For someone who thinks and over-thinks everything through, he really hadn't planned this whole escapade very well.

Behind him he swears he hears the whine of sirens, and silently, he recites every curse he knows. How had he gotten himself into this mess? It's all because of Sho, he decides. Sho screwed his plans up. As if he doesn't have enough to worry about already, now he has that pest following him. All because of some silly little misunderstanding. Can't he just get over it already? Move on with his life- oops, he meant unlife -and all that? Joshua has more important things to worry about than Pi-Face's petty grudge. Far more important things. He's ruining _everything_, and Joshua hates him for it. If he had time, he would kill him. Unfortunately, time is one thing Joshua does _not_ have.

One month. That was all the time he gave Kitanji: four weeks, 28 days- give or take a few. Well, now he's down to three weeks. A whole week wasted. Because _somebody_, though he won't name any names (Neku Sakuraba), just won't freaking _die!_

How many "accidents" does he have to set up? Terrifyingly close bolts of lightning, unfortunate car accidents, fights between gangs in just about every alleyway he frequents... He even tried dropping a piano on him! He'd freaking _crashed a plane_, out of the sky, and _still_, Neku Sakuraba just would not _die._

So now, instead of a month, he only has three weeks. That's one week down the drain. One week into his Game, and he's already losing! And if there's one thing Joshua hates, it's losing.

No. It's not just that he hates losing. Joshua _doesn't_ lose. Period.

In case it wasn't made clear before, Joshua is running out of time. Kitanji already has a proxy selected, and has been waiting patiently for him to choose his. But, as previously stated, his proxy didn't seem to be taking his less-than subtle hints that he needed to die. Like, soon. Very soon. And since an "accident" -be it convolutedly elaborate or straight out of a cartoon -wasn't quite cutting it, Joshua had realized that he had to take matters into his own hands.

You know what they say... If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself. Oh, how right they were.

Unfortunately, nothing is ever easy for Joshua. He can't _just_ pop into the RG and kill his proxy. No, that would be too simple. The universe isn't that nice (you would think he'd have learned that by now, wouldn't you?).

Minamimoto just _had_ to know what he was doing. How Pi-Face had figured out his plans, Joshua would never know. Honestly, he tends to forget that, despite being absolutely batshit insane, Sho is actually quite brilliant. He has thrown a wrench into his plans. A rather big wrench, considering how freaking important this mission is.

You see, Joshua had kind of sort of forgotten that, when the Composer tunes down his vibrations so that he can exist on a lower plane, his powers get toned down also. He can't blast anyone into Oblivion without using his phone now. He can't obliterate enemies with the single blink of an eye. He is vulnerable to weapons, to injury, to erasure. Basically, he's a sitting duck.

And wouldn't you know it, the _one_ person who wants him erased more than anyone else in the multiverse, just so happens to be the one person that knows how weak he is right now. Even better, he's on his trail, hunting him down. Like an animal. And if he can't get to his proxy, if he can't zip in there, kill him, and _get the hell out_, then he could very well end up losing this Game before he's even started- along with everything else.

Joshua isn't afraid, of course. Why would he be afraid? Why _should_ he be afraid? Aside from the fact that he's being chased down by a psychopath who won't rest until his head has rolled, or that the police are now chasing him because said psychopath made him leap into action before he'd thought everything through, or the tiny little detail about how, if he can't get to the proxy before Sho gets to _him_, then he is completely and utterly screwed.

See? Nothing to be afraid of.

His heart isn't hammering the way it used to when he was alive. His breathing, which also isn't necessary anymore, is not heavy or ragged. The hairs on the back of his neck are _not_ standing on end, and the sight of a man (or is that a woman?) with hair remarkably similar to Sho's most certainly did _not_ make him jump out of his skin and aim his gun at them. And no, he is not lying, either.

The keen of sirens is getting louder, and now Joshua swears out loud, his gaze racing over the many buildings, looking for an opening. Where was it that Mr. H had painted that last mural? He knows it's somewhere in Dogenzaka, but he doesn't know _where_ in Dogenzaka it is. Something tells him it shouldn't be this hard to spot, and he's probably just not focusing hard enough. Though really, it's much easier to just blame Mr. H for not telling him exactly where the mural was. Still, if the proxy is anywhere, it's there.

His shoes slide against the asphalt as he skids to a slow, turning instinctively down an alleyway, away from confused and horrified stares of random pedestrians that he honestly couldn't care less about. Let them be scared. Let them sic the police on him, let them spread rumors. He can just erase their memories if he needs to- which he won't. Not in three weeks, anyway.

Because in three weeks, all of the pieces in his little game will have fallen into place. In exactly 28 days, all of his problems will be gone, and everything will be completely and utterly _perfect-_

Providing that everything works out today, that is.

Joshua is trying hard not to count his chickens before they have hatched, but this is proving to be far more difficult than he imagined. Because he's just so _close_, his plans were ready to unfold right before his very eyes this morning. Before Pi-Face stuck his nose where it didn't belong, and tossed everything up into the air. It was hanging there, right now, falling in slow motion, and Joshua was desperately trying to set everything down gently before the suspension snapped and everything that he was working for smashed against the ground.

He would not let his plans be ruined. He couldn't.

It is as he's sprinting down the labyrinth of alleyways within Shibuya that Joshua begins (or possibly continues) to acknowledge that, maybe, there is a _small_ reason for him to feel _slightly_ afraid.

He is ducking down random pathways, which all look familiar to him, and in the RG they even feel familiar. He has no way of discerning his location, no mystical way of knowing exactly where he is. In his manic sprint through the city he has managed to lose track of his course (but he is not lost- he's the _Composer_, the god of the city does not get "lost"), and now he is running blind, just hoping he will pop out in the right place if he keeps on going.

Sho could be anywhere in the city right now. He could be behind him, or ahead of him, or running alongside him just beyond one of these buildings, ready to leap out at him and mow him down before Joshua even has a chance to register his presence. In the hands of that obnoxious little "hectopascal", lies the fate of his plan- and ultimately, the fate of Shibuya. All because he overheard him talking with Mr. H about making a trip down to Dogenzaka. And for the first time in Joshua cannot even remember how long, he is not in control of the situation- not in control of his own fate. In fact, he has no idea what will happen. Everything is a mess of variables now. Everything is left up to chance and instinct. Plotting and scheming will not help him. He can't sit back and think things through, because if he does, he could get jumped. Or he could lose track of the proxy again. And he _can't_ lose track of the proxy, because if he does, he might as well just forfeit his game with Kitanji- and Joshua _never_ loses, not even by forfeiture.

Joshua always knows what he is going to do. He always has a next move planned, always has a little something hidden up his sleeve. Ever since he found out about the Game, ever since he'd discovered what a Composer was, he had known what he wanted. Every step of his unlife had been carried out with the utmost precision, with careful planning and dirty scheming. Even when he was recalculating and improvising, he was not afraid, because in the end, he still had everything under control. Except for now.

Now he was unsure. He didn't know what was happening, or what would happen. Things could go perfectly, without a hitch. Or they could go horrifyingly wrong. He could get hurt. He could get _erased_. He could lose everything he has worked so very hard for, everything he's spent his life and unlife striving for...

So no, Joshua is not afraid.

Joshua is fucking terrified.

He makes a sharp turn down yet another alleyway, and out from the walls of bricks he finally emerges, into -oh _joy_ -another alley. Except he isn't alone. No, there's someone else standing there. Joshua feels his undead heart skip a beat.

There he is. A boy with a spiky mess of red hair, and a set of headphones. The proxy. Neku Sakuraba.

Wave upon wave of relief washes over him as he realizes that he made it. He got to the proxy before Sho got to _him_, he beat Pi-Face out. He wants to smile deliriously, until something else catches his eye. Something small and horrifying and oh God _why_ it's not fair it's not fair he was so damn _close-_

This was why you didn't count your chickens before they hatched.

On the other side of the alley, a man with shaggy grey hair is standing, holding a gun and staring right at him. His eyes are yellow like an animal's eyes, and he is wearing a grin that would make an axe murderer proud. Inwardly, Joshua begins reciting curses again. He was so close. _So_ close! The proxy is right there, if he'd just loaded the gun and killed him right off the bat, he would be fine!

Sho Minamimoto, aka Pi-Face, aka the Grim Heaper, is pulling out his own gun, and making a mad dash toward him. Meanwhile, the proxy is utterly transfixed with Hanekoma's mural, staring at it with his face lit up like a Christmas tree. He is completely unaware of their presence. Completely unaware of the horrible fate that is about to befall him. For about a split second Joshua thinks about how confused he will be in a moment, how he'll wonder what he had done to end up in a situation like the one he is about to be smack dab in the middle of.

It's sort of funny. You know, in a sick, twisted way. Then again, maybe it's just him.

Sho is sprinting down the alley, loading his gun, and immediately, Joshua loads his own gun, taking off across the asphalt as fast as his legs will move- which is surprisingly fast when you have adrenaline pumping through you like crazy. Sho is grinning like a maniac, aiming his weapon, but Joshua hardly pays attention to him. He cannot focus on him right now, despite how fast his heart is beating (and it shouldn't be beating, it shouldn't be thumping so crazily, why doesn't it just give up and stop already) and how numb his mind is with terror. All he can think about is the proxy. Because that's all that matters right now, in this moment.

Kill the proxy. Win the game. Do it now.

He pulls up his gun, aiming for Neku, but Sho won't slow down. He is faster than him. He will get there first, Joshua realizes, yet another chain of swears and curses going off in his head. Sho will kill him before he's even had a chance to shoot. He cannot let that happen.

The sound of his feet pounding against the ground finally manage to rip his proxy's attention away from CAT's mural. His expression is blank for a moment as his eyes scan him, but within an instant they blow wide and his body goes rigid. And in that instant Joshua sees it flashing through his eyes, feels it like static in the air- the shock, the confusion, the raw, animal horror in his gaze as he pieces the gun and the psychotic look that must be on Joshua's face right now together. But he just keeps rushing forward, because that's all he can do- if he stops for even a second he's as good as dead. Deader than dead. Nonexistent, really.

Sho's finger is on the trigger and its ready to pull, and for the first time in forever, Joshua acts purely on instinct. His aim whips up past Neku, locking in on Sho. He snaps the trigger, wincing as the recoil shudders up his arm. Neku is staring at him with numb horror as the bullet whizzes past his ear, whistling through the air and firing beyond him. The proxy falls to the ground, dumb shock settling around him. He looks at him weakly for a moment, a pathetic sort of confusion flickering in his eyes.

One of Sho's hands lets go of the gun and shoots up to his shoulder, as he lets out a cry of pain. Another wave of relief splashes Joshua. He hit his mark.

Neku is finally aware of Sho's presence. He turns to stare at him with that same pitiful confusion. Joshua can only guess how confused the boy is. He can care even less.

An angry, bitter scowl spreads across Sho's face, and with his left hand clutching his right shoulder, he forces his gun back into the air. The proxy flinches, still expecting to be shot, but Sho doesn't even aim at him- why should he? Sho doesn't want Neku. Joshua is the only one he wants to see die.

The trigger is pulled, and Joshua watches as a little golden bullet screams toward him. Without hesitation he reaches into his pocket, groping the keypad of his phone violently, clicking at the buttons without needing to think. A surge of power flows through him, and the bullet slows in mid-air. Sho watches in enraged disbelief as it multiplies rapidly, halting full-stop and then clattering to the ground, falling unceremoniously at his feet. Joshua feels a smirk spread across his face as Sho's eyes narrow viciously, his scowl widening. Sho's animal eyes glower at him with a hatred so intense that, if looks could kill, Joshua would probably be writhing on the ground in pain, dying slowly, most likely on fire. Luckily, Sho has no such power, and the anger and rage and murder in his gaze only makes Joshua's smirk wider.

He's in control again. Even before Sho lowers his gun and turns away, a nasty scowl on his face as he sprints down the alley, Joshua knows he won't try any other stunts. Not for awhile, anyway. He and the proxy both watch as the Grim Heaper sprints off, clutching his arm and probably muttering math-related profanities under his breath.

And then, Sho is gone, and it's just him and his proxy. Joshua lets out a sharp breath that he hadn't realized he was holding. Finally, he can breathe -though, again, he doesn't _need_ to. Anxiety and paranoia all start to melt away, washed off by the waves of relief that continue to crash over him. Sho is gone. Joshua has not been erased. He's still here, unharmed. His plans can go on now, no more hitches. He feels a grin start to spread across his face, and he aims the gun back at the red-headed boy, locking and loading.

The proxy's gaze flickers, and in the corner of his eyes he sees something click- panic and horror and realization register in his face as Joshua points the gun. He doesn't even have time to turn his head as Joshua pulls the trigger- something that Joshua does not hesitate to do. There is a bang, loud and short, and the boy practically leaps back with the shock, collapsing against the ground in a heap. His body goes rigid, his eyes quiver with a mixture of pain, terror, and even a little bit of rage, as the blue starts to dull, and his chest stops rising and falling. He falls completely still, his body still tense from trying to resist the pain.

A small part of him is disappointed that he didn't put up more of a fight.

Joshua smiles. It is not a nice smile, and he knows it, but he doesn't really care. Because he _did_ it. It's done. He digs his hand into his pocket and his fingers fumble for the Player Pin he'd hidden in there, taking it out and squeezing it against his palm. He drops it over the proxy, and it skitters across the boy's chest, rolling to a rest against his collar. The finishing touch.

He'd done it. He'd really done it. Neku Sakuraba is lying dead on the ground, his soul starting to collect above him. Soon he will be ready to join the Game- _his_ game. Sho is gone- for now, at least, but he doesn't matter any more. Nothing does. Another unnecessary breath escapes him, this time a sigh of relief- an almost delirious sigh. He feels... He can't even describe how he feels. Everything is working. Everything is finally going exactly as planned. All is right in his world again. Because he's _done_ it.

And now, truly, everything is perfect.


End file.
